I can read all of your posts using google translate , if I can write in dutch by using an app or something I will try, any suggestions?

I have been to Holland 3 times and like your farming methods. You, the Dutch are very much ahead of Ireland and the UK in terms of technology so hence why I write a few posts here from time to time to pick your brains.

Grassman schreef:Sorry Guys I am from Northern Ireland and my dutch is very poor.

I can read all of your posts using google translate , if I can write in dutch by using an app or something I will try, any suggestions?

I have been to Holland 3 times and like your farming methods. You, the Dutch are very much ahead of Ireland and the UK in terms of technology so hence why I write a few posts here from time to time to pick your brains.

Regards Grassman

I have tried google translate. Dear sir, what kind of Grassman are you? Are you interested in meadows or are you into marijuana?

I farm approximately 100 ha of mostly good free draining soil. We milk 200 cows Holstein x montbeliarde. Average production is 8500litres per cow. Mostly Autumn/winter calving when the cows are housed full time. The aim is to maximize milk produced during the winter when cows are in peak production and then get them back in calf again before cows go back to grass in the spring night and day for approximilty 6-7 months of the summer. We grow some cereal crops which we cut as whole crop and ensile in a clamp along with 3 cuts of grass for winter feeding. Northern Ireland is part of the U.K. and most farms here are high milk production and not like the Republic of Ireland which tends to be more Spring calving grass based herds which might only average 4-6000 litres per cow

Current milk price is 20pence / litre which is not good. Price is increasing though and a few months ago we were getting 16p / litre which at that time would have been around 20cent in Euro currency. We have no milk contract so price is variable which makes it hard to plan for the future. Most of our milk is processed into powder with some going into cheese and butter.

Future plans, well we are a family farm and the aim is to stay in milk production. No big plans to expand the herd as land is difficult to get hold of. We do need to modernise some of our facilities though and I'm currently planning out a new milking parlour. I am not a big fan of robots because of the high costs associated with them and the fact we graze cows outside during the summer and the cows have to cross a public road. So I was recently out in Holland to view some milking parlours and I saw some nice setups but you guys get into big big debt!